Twitter reacts to the tragic passing of Michigan State legend Charles Rogers

It has been an unbelievably difficult couple of days for the family that is Michigan State athletics. First, news broke that Cassius Winston lost his brother Zachary on Saturday. This morning, we lost another member of the Spartan family as MSU …

[jwplayer UmrFdEZu]

It has been an unbelievably difficult couple of days for the family that is Michigan State athletics. First, news broke that Cassius Winston lost his brother Zachary on Saturday. This morning, we lost another member of the Spartan family as MSU legend Charles Rogers passed away at the age of 38. Rogers’ friends, fans, alumni, teammates, and more all took to Twitter to remember the former wide receiver for MSU and the Detroit Lions.

RIP Chuck.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Can Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky build off 3-TD performance?

Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky had his best performance of the season against a lowly Lions defense. Can he build on that performance?

[jwplayer rzKgNnfu-ThvAeFxT]

The Chicago Bears notched their first win in over a month with a 20-13 victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

It wasn’t a perfect win by any means, but it came when the Bears needed it most, as they advanced to 4-5 on the season and helped them cling to slim playoff hopes.

But also encouraging was oft-maligned quarterback Mitchell Trubisky’s performance, where he seemed to awaken from a season-long slumber to deliver his best game of the season against a lowly Lions defense.

Trubisky’s stats weren’t otherworldly, but that didn’t matter as he came up clutch as Chicago’s offense battled back from a rough first half. If anything, he’d like to have those five sacks back.

But Trubisky completed 16-of-23 passes for 173 yards and three touchdowns for a passer rating of 131.0.

“When you go through tough things, I think you’ve just got to remember why you play this game,” Trubisky said following Sunday’s game. “You just love to play this game, and you love the guys you play with. That’ll get you through anything, and just continue to stick together, feed off your teammates, and believe that you’re going to have a breakthrough, and whether you describe today as a breakthrough or not, we got the win.”

But the fact of the matter is that Trubisky played well against a Lions defense that ranked 31st in the NFL. It’s only the second game that Trubisky has played well, the other coming against another bad defense in the Washington Redskins, where he tossed three second-quarter touchdowns.

The real test will be these final seven games, where Trubisky will face some tough defenses, including the Los Angeles Rams, Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers.

Can Trubisky build off his strong performance against the Lions? Or will he come back down to earth quickly heading into the final stretch of the season?

We’ll see Sunday when the Bears face the Rams on Sunday Night Football.

[lawrence-related id=430631,430612,430602,430534,430517]

Dan Hampton calls Bears’ 20-13 win vs. Lions ‘despicable’

While Chicago’s win over Detroit was far from a pretty win, it was a win for a team that desperately needed one in a 4-game losing streak.

When you’re describing wins, the word “despicable” doesn’t usually come to mind.

Well, it does if you’re Hall of Famer and former Bear Dan Hampton, who wasn’t impressed by Chicago’s 20-13 victory over the Lions.

While it was far from a pretty win, it was a win for a team that desperately needed one as they rode a four-game losing streak.

Sure, the Bears were facing the league’s 31st-ranked defense and only managed to put up 20 points.

Sure, the Bears were facing backup quarterback Jeff Driskel, who at times drove the Lions right down the field.

But for Hampton, winning isn’t enough. You have to be able to put away those “miserable” football teams.

“Yeah, we won,” Hampton said, via the Chicago Tribune. “We won the game. We won a game. Finally. … We finally find a way to win after four straight losses. But this was despicable. … How do you not put away one of the most miserable football teams on the planet Earth with a backup nobody quarterback and let them go down the field time and time and time again and have a chance to beat you? … I’m telling you, folks, there’s something really sad, sick about this team.”

While the Bears did nothing to sway their critics with a seven-point victory over a bad Lions team missing starting quarterback Matthew Stafford, perhaps it was just the thing the Bears needed heading into the final seven games of the season.

We’ll see when the Bears head to Los Angeles to play the Rams on Sunday Night Football.

[lawrence-related id=430602,430591,430534,430531,430563]

Lions week 10 snap counts: Jarrad Davis thrives on lower snap counts

Detroit Lions Week 10 snap counts observations include Jarrad Davis’ having his best game of the year in a game where he saw his lowest snap counts of the season.

When examining the Detroit Lions (3-5-1) snap counts from Week 10, one glaring thing stood out: Jarrad Davis’ had his best game of the year in a game where he saw his lowest snap counts of the season.

That and more takeaways from this week’s snap counts below:

No Matthew Stafford means it’s Jeff Driskel time

Jeff Driskel — 83, 100-percent

With Stafford’s status moving forward very much in question, we may see a lot more of Driskel in the near future.

Guard rotation declines, Tyrell Crosby steps up

LT Taylor Decker — 83, 100-percent
LG Joe Dahl — 75, 90-percent
C Frank Ragnow — 83, 100-percent
RG Graham Glasgow — 79, 95-percent
RT Rick Wagner — 28, 34-percent
RT Tyrell Crosby — 56, 67-percent
OG Kenny Wiggins — 15, 18-percent

Wiggins saw one series filling in for Glasgow and one for Dahl, down from the two series he had seen in previous weeks.

Crosby took over for Wagner when he left the game due to a concussion and Crosby will likely hold down this position as Wagner moves through the NFL protocol.

The Lions continued to use six offensive linemen sets — four times in this game — beginning with Crosby in his typical role. But when Crosby was needed to take over at right tackle, Wiggins took over this role for the final three snaps.

Ty Johnson’s exit forces J.D. McKissic into the spotlight

J.D. McKissic — 58, 70-percent
Paul Perkins — 15, 18-percent
Ty Johnson — 12, 14-percent
Nick Bawden — 11, 13-percent

Depending on the severity of Johnson’s concussion, we could see a roster move at the position sometime this week. Regardless of what happens, McKissic has proven himself as Driskel’s preferred safety valve — he saw seven targets in the passing game — and will likely be holding down an extensive role moving forward.

Three receiver sets see the majority of the snaps

Kenny Golladay — 78, 94-percent
Marvin Jones Jr. — 76, 92-percent
Danny Amendola — 56, 67-percent
Marvin Hall — 11, 13-percent

Golladay and Jones rarely left the field, while Amendola has now put together four games in a row of over 60-percent of offensive snaps.

Hall’s numbers were down a bit from normal, but with Driskel at the helm — and coaches keeping things simple for him in his first start — it’s not overly surprising. As Driskel gets more comfortable in this offense, expect him to take more deep shots downfield — he has the arm strength to do it — and that means more opportunities for Hall.

Tight end snaps declining

T.J. Hockenson — 48, 58-percent
Jesse James — 28, 34-percent
Logan Thomas — 18, 22-percent

With the Bears’ weakness covering the tight end, these numbers were surprisingly low. Over the last month, Hockenson has seen about two-thirds of snaps, while James has leveled off at around one-third.

Lions DL snaps down due to injury

A’Shawn Robinson — 29, 51-percent
Damon Harrison — 25, 44-percent
Mike Daniels — 21, 37-percent
John Atkins — 20, 35-percent
Kevin Strong — 12, 21-percent

Every player on this list either (save Atkins) entered the game with an injury, suffered an injury during the game, or both. Expect these numbers to increase with their health.

Flowers snaps rise, Kennard’s decline

Trey Flowers — 50, 88-percent
Devon Kennard — 39, 68-percent

With no Romeo Okwara available and injuries on the interior, Flowers saw a significant increase to snap count — his highest of the season.

Kennard has seen his snap percentage drop from the 90-percentile to the 80-percentile, but this week was a season-low. The Lions use a heavy rotation at linebacker in this game and Kennard’s usage reflected that.

Jarrad Davis sees lowest snaps of season, thrives

Jarrad Davis — 44, 77-percent
Christian Jones — 41, 72-percent
Jahlani Tavai — 38, 67-percent

Davis, like Kennard, saw his lowest snap percentage of the season, but Davis responded with his best game of the year. Maybe the light bulb turned on for Davis in this one, but with less responsibility on his plate — Tavai was calling plays at different points during this game —  he responded in a positive way.

Jones snaps stayed close to his average snap total, while Tavai’s streak of seeing over 50-percent of defensive snaps is now at five games in a row. Tavai’s increase in responsibilities and consistent snap counts suggest a larger role for him in the near future.

3 and 4 corner sets rise

Rashaan Melvin — 57, 100-percent
Darius Slay — 55, 96-percent
Justin Coleman — 46, 81-percent
Mike Ford — 15, 26-percent

Slay and Melvin were back to their starting cornerback roles, while Coleman settled back into his typical nickel corner role. Coleman was replaced on the field at times by Ford in an apparent effort to exploit a speed-on-speed matchup.

3 safety sets return to average

Will Harris — 57, 100-percent
Tavon Wilson — 56, 98-percent
C.J. Moore — 22, 39-percent

Despite Tracy Walker missing another game, the Lions returned to their standard three safety rotation usage, with undrafted rookie Moore taking on his highest defensive snap counts of the season.

Moore also led the team in special teams snaps. As usual, he and Dee Virgin are one-two in third-phase snaps.

Special teams

C.J. Moore — 27
Dee Virgin — 26
Jalen Reeves-Maybin — 23
Steve Longa — 23
Nick Bawden — 22
Logan Thomas — 22
Mike Ford — 20
Will Harris — 19
Jamal Agnew — 17
Paul Perkins — 16
Christian Jones — 11
Amani Oruwariye — 9
Tavon  Wilson — 9
Jesse James — 6
Jahlani Tavai — 5
Justin Coleman — 5
Jarrad Davis — 4
Devon Kennard — 4
Trey Flowers — 4
Marvin Hall — 4

Michigan State Legend Charles Rogers Passes Away

In two career games against Notre Dame, Rogers was the best player on the field

38 years is way too short of amount of time for someone to get on Earth. That was my first reaction when I heard the news about former Michigan State receiver and 2003 number-two overall draft pick to the Detroit Lions, Charles Rogers.

TMZ reports it was a liver disease and cancer that wound up running its course.

Off the field issues get linked to Rogers who battled through more than just injuries during and after his NFL career.

Charles Rogers gets remembered by NFL fans for being a bust but college fans remember a legend.

Obviously Michigan State fans feel that way having watched him weekly but Notre Dame fans can’t name many players that tormented the Irish quite like No. 1 in green and white did.

Michigan State teammate and former NFL tight end Chris Baker remembered his friend on Twitter this morning:

In two career games against Notre Dame, Rogers was the best player on the field compiling 11 receptions, 291 yards and three touchdowns in those games.

Charles Rogers, No. 2 pick in 2003 NFL draft, dies at 38

Former Michigan State and Lions receiver Charles Rogers has died at age 38: https://t.co/tj9y5W5rSs pic.twitter.com/JbXJKfZId7 – Sports Illustrated (@SInow) November 11, 2019 One of the most highly drafted wide receivers in NFL history, Charles …

One of the most highly drafted wide receivers in NFL history, Charles Rogers has died at the age of 38.

A star at Michigan State, Rogers was selected No. 2 overall in the 2003 NFL draft by the in-state Detroit Lions. He was a first-team all-conference pick in back-to-back seasons, winning the Fred Biletnikoff Award as college football’s best wide receiver in 2002. He was also a unanimous All-American selection that season.

Unfortunately, Rogers’ college success never translated to the pro game. He only appeared in 15 games over three seasons with the Lions, catching 36 passes for 440 yards and four touchdowns for his career.

The Detroit Lions released the following statement:

Rogers dealt with multiple legal issues during his time in the NFL, and was suspended in 2005 for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

Though he played just two seasons for the Spartans, his 27 touchdown receptions are still the highest mark in school history, while he ranks No. 3 in career receiving yards.

[vertical-gallery id=609675]

WATCH: Bears return to Club Dub following Week 10 win over Lions

The Chicago Bears returned to their winning ways with a 20-13 victory over the Detroit Lions, which meant a return to Club Dub.

After a prolonged absence from Club Dub, the Chicago Bears returned to their winning ways Sunday notching a 20-13 victory over the Detroit Lions.

The win snapped Chicago’s four-game losing streak and kept them out of last place in the NFC North, with a 4-5 record.

While it certainly an ugly win, any win is a welcome win. Especially when it you get to return to Club Dub.

For all of those that are criticizing Matt Nagy for holding Club Dub with the Bears below .500 and nabbing their first win in over a month, he doesn’t care. This is how they do things. This is how they celebrate victories, even ones that are far from pretty.

“That’s who we are,” Nagy said, via the Chicago Tribune. “The guys, you’d be surprised, one of the neat things that I think we have going on right now, even in this four-game slide that we just came through, is every Saturday morning we have our own (dance-off), and it just keeps the energy going. We did it last year and why not keep doing it? So we do it. (Saturday morning) is like the appetizer and then this they come to dinner.

“I just sat back and just to be able to watch the guys, seeing them in there, they ended up doing some one-on-one dancing, which is pretty neat. It’s exciting. We enjoy it. It brings you together, you know, and then you’re able to coach off of wins a lot easier. There’s still a lot of things that we need to get better at. We understand that. But you step back in those moments and you say, this is why we do what we do.”

The Bears will be looking to make it two straight trips to Club Dub when they travel to Los Angeles to face the Rams on Sunday Night Football in Week 11.

[lawrence-related id=430602,430591,430534,430531,430563]